Their Place
by ijustneededausernameokay
Summary: Fred Weasley has fallen. But fallen where, exactly? He's not sure yet. All he knows is that it's the most beautiful place he's ever seen in his life. A place with green hills, interesting and familiar people, and not to mention beautiful sunrises. He's not completely sure what's going on just yet, but he's eager to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Fred opened his eyes, feeling his laughter end abruptly. He didn't know where he was. What happened to the battle? What happened to the noise? Where was everyone?

Suddenly he became aware of the coolness of the green grass he was laying on and jolted upright. He mouth dropped open, his eyes almost burning with all the brightness that surrounded him. Trees stood scattered about in the endless waves of green that disappeared into the horizon, where the sun rose beautifully, perfectly over the hilltops in the distance. Quite nearby stood a house. A large estate, but it did not seem as out of place as Fred would normally have thought. He was mostly concerned about where he was, too concerned to realize that the ground he stood on felt airy, far too airy to have been actually earth. Whipping around, he heard a holler.

"Another sunrise!" shouted a man's voice that Fred didn't recognize. Suddenly, he saw a man hop from the porch of the house to the lawn, sprinting towards him.

Fred's initial thought was to run, but strangely, he felt completely safe in this place. Like he couldn't be in danger, just because.

The man reached him in no time, and Fred would know his face anywhere.

"Harry?" he asked.

The man laughed, throwing his head back. "Not quite, my boy," he told him.

Fred furrowed his brow. "But you look just like him," he pointed out. Looking around once more he asked, "Am I in the future?"

The man smiled lightly. "You're actually in the past, present, and future," he said. He put a hand on Fred's shoulder. "Come inside, there are some other people you should meet."

Fred allowed himself to be led towards the house. In any normal situation, he would refuse to follow the stranger, but obviously this was not a normal situation.

"So if you're not Harry," Fred asked, trying to keep up with the long and quick strides of the older man. "Who are you?"

The man chuckled and held a hand out to him. "James," he said.

Thinking the name was familiar but not completely recognizing it, he shook James' hand and opened his mouth to introduce himself, but the dark-haired man chuckled once more.

"No need. I already know who you are," he told him as the two started up the stairs.

"How?" Fred asked, furrowing his brow yet again. He was sure they had never met before, although he did feel a strange, if distant, connection to the man.

James turned to him as he opened the door. "Allow us to explain," he said, a small smile playing on his lips, and for the first time, Fred saw the difference between the man and his own younger friend. Though both shared the same twinkle in their eyes earned only by the bravest of men, those who seemed without fear, James' did not reflect the brilliant color of the younger's.

James held the door for Fred, who looked all around the house.

It was enormous, like a mansion, except homier. He took a few steps, finding himself in a magnificent parlor with large couches and cushy-looking armchairs.

"Nice, isn't it?" James asked, following him. "I grew up here."

Fred nodded slowly. "It's brilliant," he breathed. He reached out a hand to touch one of the chairs, but stopped dead when he heard a laugh. One that he knew all too well to mistake.

He swung around, looking for the source. He met James' eyes wildly.

"Where is he?" he asked.

James allow a small smile to cross his face. "In the kitchen," he answered, pointing to the door that stood only feet away from where Fred stood.

Rushing towards it, he pushed it and it swung open, nearly hitting him in the face on its way back.

Inside the kitchen sat three other people, two of whom he recognized, the other being a stranger and also the only woman.

She had long, deep red hair and, like James, didn't seem to be much older than himself. When she saw him, she only smiled a little, and it was a sad smile indeed.

The other two men who sat with her, he knew personally. Remus sat directly across from the woman, patting her hands in a comforting sort of way. He had the same light brown hair and the same older-than-his-years face, but he still managed to look far younger than he had when Fred had even first met him nearly five years ago. And although he was curious as to what he was doing there, it was the other man that caught his attention.

Sirius was planted on the counter, and had Fred not heard that barking laugh, he would have questioned whether or not it was really him. His face was younger, very much so, as though he had lost quite a bit of age since they had last seen each other. Since he had died.

Fred froze. Sirius was dead. What could he be doing here? With all these people?

"Sirius...?" he asked taking a step forward, wanting to touch and see if perhaps the man was a ghost.

For a moment, Sirius didn't smile, he only looked at Fred with wide eyes. Then he hopped from his position and strode over to him, grasping him in a fierce hug as though he were his own child.

"Where's-?" Sirius began, but suddenly he stopped, eyeing behind Fred, who turned around just in time to see James abruptly finish shaking his head as he made his way into the kitchen.

Fred watched as James slid into the seat next to the woman, who still seemed distraught. He met each pair of eyes slowly.

"Where am I?" he asked them.

They looked at one another for a long moment before Remus stood.

"You're in your Place," he said slowly.

Fred narrowed his eyes a little. "What do you mean? What place?" All he wanted was an answer, and if he had to dig it out of them, so be it.

The woman stared at him, and suddenly he felt as though she were seeing everything he was.

"Your Place," she said simply. Seeing the confusion in the boy's eyes, she continued with care. "It's the place you're meant to go, where you're meant to be after."

Fred shook his head. "I don't get it though," he said, with a hint of exasperation. "Why am I here, after what?" A hand was placed on his back and he turned to the owner.

Sirius' eyes were filled with such regret that Fred had only seen once before; in the eyes of his own mother, after they returned unscathed from the Quidditch World Cup and she had realized that the last thing she said to him and George was that-

Fred's eyes went wide and he took a step away from Sirius' hand, suddenly not wanting the touch of anyone but one person.

"Where's George?" he asked. The others turned their heads from the younger man, refusing to make eye-contact with him.

"Where is he?" Fred yelled. "Where's George?" His screams were so violent, he saw the hanging light shake, but he didn't care. He just wanted his brother. He wanted his George.

Carefully, Remus looked at him, his face sad and as though he were forcing himself not to cry tears for the poor boy that stood in front of him.

"Fred," he began, eyes not drifting from the redheaded young man's. "George isn't here."

Fred shook his head and covered his ears with his hands. He didn't want to hear. He didn't care how childish he looked, all he knew was that he couldn't listen to this.

"No, he's got to be, has to!" he screeched, feeling his eyes sting. "He's always got to be with me, he needs me!" He forced his eyes shut as two tears leaked down his pale, freckled face that existed in one other person only.

Without warning, the woman stood and walked to him. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. Like a mother.

As though a maternal key had been turned in him, Fred let a cry escape him as he hugged the woman he didn't know.

"I need him," he sobbed.

The woman rubbed his back as his sobs continued, comforting him as though he were her own son.

Fred pulled away only after his sobs had turned into silent tears, which were arguably the worst kind because they ran without hesitation, like a minute river, each following the other in perfect, if sad, harmony.

"Who are you?" he asked the woman, peering down into her eyes. Though at that moment it became obvious to him, for her eyes were ones he had seen so many times before.

The woman smiled gently, her eyes red from her own crying, which he hadn't even taken the time to notice before.

"I'm Harry's mum," she said quietly, and Fred nodded, wiping his damp face with his palm unashamedly.

"He has your eyes."

Lily smiled, but it faded the longer she looked in his eyes.

"You'll see him again, Fred. Just like we'll see Harry," she said, reaching her hands out to take one of Fred's, and one of her husband's.

"We can wait together."

Fred ducked his head and smiled his first real smile, albeit it was a small one, since he had arrived in this place. His Place.

"Until death do us part?" he joked quietly, almost to himself, until he heard James and Sirius chuckle.

Sirius patted him on the back. "Somehow I think our wait isn't going to hurt quite as much with you with us."

And they smiled together.

That is, until the sky began to change.


	2. Chapter 2

"Not another," moaned James, running a hand through his hair, making him, Fred thought, look more like his son than ever.

"Another what?" Fred asked, looking around at the saddened, although curious faces. He didn't understand why a sunrise was such a big deal, aside, maybe, from the fact that it came so soon after the one Fred had seen when he arrived.

James headed back towards the front door.

"Someone else is here to join us," he said hurriedly, before swinging the door open and jogging outside, as he probably had when he had spotted Fred.

He freckled man turned to the others, who peered out the window to see if they could catch a glimpse of the new arrival. He joined them, only to be stunned. He hadn't been so overwhelmed at the idea of the second sunrise at first, but seeing it for himself made him the slightest bit uneasy.

"What's happening?" he asked, craning his neck to see better, as though the sky were performing some sort of optical allusion.

Lily turned to him slightly, but keeping her eyes on the grounds. "Whenever there's a new addition, the sunrise starts again. It symbolizes the start of their new life."

Fred snorted. "Silly me, and here I was thinking symbolism didn't matter after you died."

Before anyone could even laugh, the front door was opened with a bang and a woman with the brightest of pink hair ran into the room and threw herself into Remus' arms.

The brown-haired man had no words. His eyes wide with both surprise and, though he probably didn't think it as obvious as it was, terror.

"D-Dora?" he sputtered, refusing to allow his arms to wrap themselves tightly around his wife, as though feeling her, touching her, would make her real.

The watery eyes and teary face of the young woman were immediately noticeable and she shook her head wildly as though trying to wake herself from a dream.

"Remus!" she wailed, clinging to his every limb, holding him so tight it looked at though the man might break right in two.

Fred averted his eyes from the weeping woman, with a hint of shame. He felt as though he were intruding upon something private that he need not see or even listen to. Her cries and sobs for her husband were hysterical and Fred clenched his eyes shut, as though trying to force every thought and sound out of his mind. He had never seen Tonks, or any person for that matter, in so much pain before in his life. It scared him.

He was jarred from his futile attempts when finally, Remus spoke again.

"I'm here, darling," he whispered. It was barely audible, but enough to shake Fred's eyes open.

"Love, my love," Remus hushed, and finally he wrapped his arms around his wife. He held her close to him, pressing her head to his chest and burying his face into her hair. Fred thought maybe it was to hide the tears that, not a moment afterwards, travelled the length of her hair and fell onto her shoulders.

Fred watched on, and could feel their pain, palpable in the air. The cries of Dora hadn't simmered down, and she cried just as hard as Remus held her. Fred winced as she began screaming for her infant son, and even more so when he saw Remus' shoulder begin to slowly shake.

The brown haired man smoothed her hair, fingers tangling ever so slightly, and hushed her, though his voice was hoarser than usual.

Fred felt a hand on his back and, without turning to see who it was, felt it steer him back to the sitting room he had first seen when he arrived.

Sitting in one of the comfortable-looking armchairs, Fred did not feel comfortable in the least. He looked up as he saw the person who had guided him sit on the sofa that was positioned diagonally from his chair.

"I think we ought to let James and Lily talk to them," Sirius said quietly. "They know this loss better than you or I."

For a moment, Fred felt outraged, and it was such a strong, though inner, feeling that it brought him to his feet. But the look on Sirius' face said it all. It was a different kind of loss. One that he couldn't comprehend. And with a sudden, sinking feeling in his gut, he realized.

It was a type of loss he would never comprehend.

Falling back into his seat, Fred closed his eyes and rubbed his temples as they pounded, echoing against his skull.

So much had happened so fast, it was too much for his to take all at once. Without warning, he vomited on the carpet. He groaned, feeling both shameful and overwhelmed with sudden fatigue.

His eyes fluttered open just long enough to watch the dispelled contents of his stomach slowly disappear, as though someone were magicking it away, but no one was. It was the last thing he saw before his eyes shut once more and he fell into a slumber.

* * *

"He'll be awake any minute now," whispered Sirius' voice as Fred drifted into consciousness once more. "Can we please send for him, James?"

"I think it's a worthy idea," James' voice replied, moments later. "You think it'll make him feel more at home?"

Fred didn't hear Sirius say anything but he assumed the man nodded because James said "It's settled then." and the sound of footsteps, slowly getting harder to hear, travelled from the room.

Finally, the freckled man opened his eyes. He wasn't in the sitting room anymore. Instead he was in a large bedroom, tucked into a large and generously sized bed. It was plain, but in an elegant sort of fashion. The walls were eggshell white, with simple, light green bordering encompassing the very top edge. Across the room stood a large armoire, appearing to be made of deeply red mahogany.

"I thought you'd be up soon," Sirius said lightly.

Almost forgetting that he wasn't alone, Fred jumped just a little. Sirius stood, leaning on a wooden chair, seemingly made from the same wood as the dresser.

Fred gave the older man a light smile, expecting it to hurt his head to move his face anymore. However, he was wrong, and noticed that he felt a great deal better than he had before falling asleep. He smiled a little wider.

"Feeling better, then?" Sirius asked, returning Fred's gesture.

"Much," Fred replied, with a small sigh of relief as he propped himself up against his multiple pillows.

Sirius chuckled lightly. "We thought so. Fainting spells are common when you're new. It's just your body adjusting to this Place."

Fred nodded. "Place..." he smiled, furrowing his brow slightly. "This 'Place' is gonna take some getting used to, huh?"

The man let out his barking laugh and sighed contentedly. "Just like anything else, Fred." He paused, his eyes staring out at no point in particular. "But this is a magical place," he said slowly. "It's full of beautiful things, and not all of them are a burden. You're going to enjoy it here, I'm sure of it."

Smile growing, Fred peered up at the out-of-focus man that stood before him.

"I feel the same way."

"Sirius, oh," said Lily's voice, and the red haired woman had appeared in the open doorway of the bedroom, shaking both men from their moment. "Fred, how're you feeling, better I expect?" she asked maternally, coming into the room to feel the man in question's forehead.

Fred smiled at the warm touch of her skin. "Loads better, thanks."

Lily smiled warmly at him before turning to Sirius. "James has just sent for him, he said he'll be here tomorrow, when he's done visiting his grandfather."

"Great, great," Sirius said, eyes darting for just a moment towards Fred.

Furrowing his brow, Fred looked at both of them questioningly.

"Who's coming?" he asked.

Sirius and Lily exchanged a look, then a small smile.

"Just someone," Lily said slyly.

"Not a big deal, really," Sirius added, grinning mischievously.

Although it was painfully obvious that they were hiding something, Fred didn't ask any further questions. He could wait, after all, what else did he have to do?


	3. Chapter 3

It was a long time before Fred finally got out of bed. This was due mostly to the fact that getting up meant that he would soon be faced with Remus and Tonks, an encounter he wasn't particularly looking forward to. He shuffled around his room for a while, dragging his feet on the carpet and admiring the decor.

"James doesn't have bad taste..." he noted, smirking slightly as he ran his hand over the ornate pattern carved into the side of a desk that stood by the window. He took a moment to look through the glass. The sky had gone from the unsettling pink-orange of the second sunrise to a cloudless, intoxicating blue that seemed to beckon to him. It reminded him of when he was young and he and all his brothers (and Ginny trailing along behind, of course) would play outside until the very last second possible. He felt a deep pang in his chest, but shook his head. That pain would be for another day. A day that was not so beautiful.

For a while he just stood there, admiring the sky, and for a split second, he thought he heard the distant laughter of a little girl. Knowing it was just him, wrapped up in memories of his baby sister, he smiled to himself.

"Fred?" asked a quiet voice from the other side of the room.

Fred turned, knowing the voice immediately and not being shocked by the sudden appearance of the pink-haired woman.

"Come in," he invited with a wave of his hand. Slowly, he watched her move towards him. Her hair seemed brighter than usual in the sunlight and it looked out of place against her bloodshot eyes and pale face. He didn't like it. He was too used to her heart-shaped face being full of nothing but life and excitement.

For a moment, the two just stood there, side by side, staring out the window.

"I'm sorry."

The sound of his voice, speaking without his consent, almost startled him. He turned his head to look at her, but her own eyes never left the world outside the window.

"I'll be fine," she said quietly. Her arm grazed his gently and she finally turned to look at him. "Thank you, though."

Instinctively, Fred wrapped his arms around her. Not tightly, like he had seen Remus do. Just gently. He figured that's what she needed most. Just to feel him, to know that he was there. That she was not alone. He wasn't willing to admit it aloud, but he needed it too.

"I'm sorry too," Tonks said after a moment of the warm embrace. "About..."

Fred shook his head, not knowing if he could stand to hear her finish and closed his eyes. "Don't worry," he said, trying to sound as though the lump in his throat were not there. "I'll be okay someday."

They pulled apart and Fred looked down at her. "We both will be."

Tonks smiled a small, wavering smile and nodded in quiet agreement. She took a last glance outside and sighed.

"I think I'm going to go for a walk," she said. "It's a beautiful day, would you like to join me?"

Fred thought for a moment before shaking his head, albeit reluctantly.

"Thanks, but I think I'm just going to hang out here for a bit..." he said.

Tonks smiled understandingly before taking a last look outside and leaving the room.

Fred watched her as she left and sighed. It was odd to see her move so slowly, sadness echoing in her every step, and without knocking anything over. He figured she would be like this for a while, as she adjusted to her new life, just like himself. Walking back over to his bed, he collapsed on his back and let out a groan of pleasure. The bed was terribly soft, the most soft thing he had ever felt in his life. Moving his arms along the blankets in a snow-angel fashion that he was all too familiar with due to years of practice during the winter, he smiled softly.

He wondered if the Place had winter. If snow ever feel or if each day were the same. Bright, clear, but, after a while, boring. He stopped moving and frowned. He hoped it never rained here.

Although Fred was now, and perhaps eternally, a man of twenty, it was still difficult for him to admit, even to himself, that he had fears. One of those fears, and his second worst at that, was his fear of storms. It had come to be when he was young, around four, and had been playing Quidditch outside with Charlie when a storm hit. Charlie, being the skilled flyer he was and had always been, had landed with ease. But Fred, who had only just begun learning, was swept in all directions by the wind and without any control over his broom.

At the time, it was terrifying, but he was only a child and the situation was not nearly as bad as his child-self had made it out to be. After all, his mother had put up a boundary that his broom couldn't pass, said broom was a child's broom and only lifted him a few feet off the ground, and Charlie had found him not long afterwards and pulled him back to the house.

Still, the encounter had shaken him to the core, and continued to even up until now. Since then, he had never spent a stormy night or day alone, or without George. He thought perhaps his fear stemmed from the fact that his twin was not with him when it had happened. After all, being with George always made him feel safe. Shuttering and clenching his eyes shut, he didn't want to think about what he would do would there be a storm. Or what George would do if there was one. He had become so accustomed to Fred wanting to be near him, hug him, that Fred wondered if it would ever be the same for him either.

_No_, he thought,_ I just want it to snow_.

He laid on his bed for several minutes, trying not to think, before he was awakened by yet another voice.

"Nice blizzard," Lily chuckled.

Fred's eyes flew open and he stared at the red-haired woman for only a moment before twisting to the window.

Sure enough, the pane was covered in small, silver flakes, and he could see thousands more fluttering outside. He ran to it, with almost childlike excitement and astonishment, and stared. The grounds had been completely covered already in what looked like a thick blanket of white.

He spun around to back at Lily and grinned, really grinned.

"That's brilliant," he said in disbelief.

She nodded and laughed. "You can do a lot of brilliant things here," she said. "We find new ones every day."

Fred's face softened to a curious smile. He paused before asking, "What's the best?"

For just a moment, Lily's face turned into one of surprise, her mouth open and eyes wide, as though she had never been asked such a question before. But then, Fred thought that perhaps she hadn't.

Slowly, her face turned thoughtful and she looked upwards, thinking of her answer.

"That's a tough one," she admitted. "But I think, for me, it's being able... being able to watch Harry..." She invited herself into the room, with no argument from Fred, and took a seat on his bed.

"That's how James and I knew who you were," she told him as he sat next to her. "We've watched Harry make friends with Ron and all of you Weasleys. And of course," she said with a small laugh. "Sirius has told stories about you."

Fred grinned again. "We got on really well," he said, remembering sitting with his brother and Sirius at dinner and laughing about various stories.

Lily nodded. "You and your brother were certainly the James and Sirius of your time."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for several minutes, both just smiling and reminiscing.

"But you know," she said finally. "I think I know what your favorite part will be."

Fred smirked a little. The fact that Lily knew him so well was both amusing and comforting to him.

"What's that?" he asked, looking down into her green eyes, which were glimmering with life, the same way her son's did.

"Well," she began, an amused smile playing on her lips. "This is the past, present, and future. And I think the future is going to be your favorite part, or at the very least, make you incredibly happy. I know I love it."

Fred opened his mouth to question her. What was the "future" she was talking about? Were they able to speed up time? See the future? But before he could ask anything, and perhaps that was her intention, she stood and extended a hand to him.

"But on another note, I originally came to fetch you for dinner, and my bet is that if we don't go now, Sirius and James will have already eaten everything."

Though reluctant at first, Fred felt his stomach twinge with hunger and followed her eagerly, out of the room for the first time.

Immediately, he was glad that he had someone to use as a guide, because he felt sure that he would have been lost if he ventured out of the bedroom on his own.

Doors stood scattered about the hallway that could be described only as magnificent. High-ceilinged and bright white with gold trim covering every doorway and the border that lay on the bottom, it gave Fred a sense of not being able to touch anything and, at the same time, a clashing sense of wanting to touch everything. Keeping up his pace behind the amused woman, he looked around, admiring every picture frame that hung and every podium that stood holding a vase or small statue.

"Yes, James' parents did themselves well," Lily said, watching him as he goggled at everything.

"No kidding," Fred breathed, unable to tear his eyes from the art.

It wasn't long though, before they finally reached the large, sweeping staircase that led down to the front door. Fred guessed he hadn't noticed it when he had first arrived, as he had been distracted by Sirius' laughter. Reaching the bottom, they followed through the sitting room and into the kitchen, where, surely enough, James and Sirius were already sitting and enjoying the food-laden table.

Fred noticed that Remus and Tonks had not joined them and assumed that perhaps they just needed to rest a while, and did not ask about them.

Most of dinner was extremely pleasant and involved much chatter about such things as James' and Sirius' hooligan past, and lots of talk of Harry.

James and Fred were just finishing an intense conversation about the original makers of the Marauder's Map, one part of which included Fred being overwhelmed at the fact that he was sitting at the table with _the_ Prongs and Padfoot (not to mention that he had already personally known the latter and Moony), when Remus and Tonks stumbled into the kitchen in through the back door, both rosy-cheeked and with snow dusting their hair.

"Some storm, huh? Snow! Right out of nowhere!" Tonks chattered, rubbing her shoulders as Remus brushed the snowflakes from her.

Fred's and Lily's eyes met for a split second, each seeing the knowing look in the other's, before they both burst into laughter, leaving the others quite confused as James went to make some hot chocolate for the shivering couple.


	4. Chapter 4

Fred was very familiar with the feeling of being too excited to sleep. After all, growing up in a family of nine, there always seemed to be reason for excitement. He laid for the longest time in his bed and under his covers, but staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling. He knew exactly why, too.

Finally, he would see who they had invited over for him.

Sighing, though with only the smallest hint of actual frustration, he thought harder. Maybe they were dead too? He wasn't sure what the rules were with this kind of thing. But he didn't really know anyone who had died. Sure, there was his uncle, Bilius, but truth be told, Fred hadn't even known Uncle Bilius that well and he didn't see why the others would think he would cheer him up. He had a few other deceased relatives as well, but he none that were exceptionally prominent to him...

Suddenly, Fred jolted upright as though a shockwave had been sent through his spine. A grin spread across his face.

Fabian and Gideon.

His memories of his uncles were scarce and dim, stemming mostly from stories that he and his siblings had been told by their mother. Naturally though, he and George had felt an immediate connection with them. They had even become something of an inspiration for them. They too were close brothers who were known a a pair ("Fabian and Gideon" their mother would sigh lovingly) and were known for their intense bravery, and perhaps borderline recklessness even.

Fred smiled so hard his face hurt as he leaned back against his mound of pillows. Thoughts and daydreams swam through his head of meeting his idols, how they would react to seeing him now, whether or not they would be impressed with his and George's work.

_But of course they will be_, he thought almost smugly. _What's there not to be impressed with?_

He paused thoughtfully. He wondered whether they would find his death worthy of honor. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure if he thought it was. He hadn't seen it happen. He wasn't even quite sure what had caused his death. All he remembered was laughing, and then he was gone.

Putting this thought from his head, he turned on his side with a broad grin and closed his eyes, dreaming only about the adventures he would be able to go on with his uncles once he met them.

_Suddenly, Fred found himself in a place so familiar he could have described it perfectly down to the last cobblestone. He had to admit though, he would have expected to see more people in Diagon Alley on such a nice day. Shoes scuffing the ground, he peered around. In fact, there seemed to be no one at all. He was completely alone, it seemed. Up ahead, he could see the shop, his and George's, and smiled as he picked up his pace._

_"Fred, there you are!" called his twin as the identical man jogged towards him out of nowhere. "We've been looking all over for you!"_

_"We?" Fred asked. He felt surprisingly at ease seeing his brother here. But then, he wasn't even sure at the moment why it should be surprising. He saw his brother every day, after all._

_When the running man caught up, the two walked in synchronization towards their store._

_"Fabian and Gideon have been waiting to see you, you know!" George said happily as he pushed open the door to let them both in._

_Fred grinned at his brother. "Of course they have," he replied. "I'm brilliant."_

_"Humble too, Freddie," George snorted, grinning identically._

_"Is our favorite set of twins back then?" called a voice from the backroom as the sound of footsteps approached._

_Two men appeared from behind the curtains that hung behind the counter._

_"Our favorite set besides us, anyway," added what Fred guessed must have been the opposite of the one who had first spoken._

_Twins stood before twins, facing one another, and all looking rather smug. Fred guessed it ran in the family._

_"We're going to be late for dinner if we don't hurry," one said rather suddenly, and Fred somehow knew it was Gideon._

_"Yeah, and Molly'll maim us if we hold you up from a meal," Fabian agreed._

_"We'd better get going then," Fred said, and George nodded._

_In the blink of an eye, they all found themselves in the kitchen at the Burrow._

_Although Fred didn't remember Apparating home, he shrugged it off a second later, completely forgetting it, probably due to the excitement of the room._

_Around him stood all his siblings, along with Harry, Hermione, and Fleur of course. Smiling, he took the empty seat between George and who he knew to be Fabian._

_Though normally the kitchen would be terribly crowded with so many people, Fred was thrilled to see that it seemed to expand directly to their needs._

_Even Percy was there, Fred noted. The pompous man even seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself, completely enraptured by a story of Charlie's about an incredibly odd pair of Swedish Short-Snouts that had just arrived in Romania._

_Fred had never before been happier, talking and laughing with his family. Had he been able to focus for just a moment, he felt sure that his heart would have been racing with all the happiness and love that engulfed him._

_Just as they were finishing and planning to retire to the living room for more time together, George suddenly turned his head towards his twin, his face contorted in such a purely happy fashion that Fred knew all too well, as he had seen it plenty of times between the both of them._

_"Hey Freddie?" he asked, and though everyone else continued talking, Fred seemed only able to hear him._

_"Yeah, Georgie?" he replied, and a grin crossed his lips instinctively._

_"I love you."_

Fred wanted nothing more in that moment then to tell his brother the same. To tell him, assure him, that he loved him as well. But before he could even open his mouth, a hand on his shoulder and a voice that wasn't the one he wanted to hear forced his eyes open.

Light streamed in all directions into his newly vulnerable eyes but it was not the reason tears formed there.

Fred wanted to scream.

"Lily asked me to wake you," Remus' voice floated as it traveled through the previously undisturbed morning air. "Said that your visitor should be here in less than an hour."

Not facing the man, not thinking he'd be able to without punching him square in the jaw, Fred remained curled on his side, wiping his eyes.

"Visitors you mean?" he asked halfheartedly.

"Well," Remus began, sounding as though he was confused. "I thought it was only one, but perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention." Without another moment's hesitation, his footsteps started away.

Fred's heart sunk to the lowest he had ever felt it before. Now that Remus had gone, nothing stopped him from allowing himself to become immersed in his own tears and, not even shamefully, quiet sobs.

He had never wanted to see George more than he did now.

Pulling himself out of bed was terribly difficult. He didn't know what he had to look forward to. No George. No Fabian and Gideon. Nothing could cheer him up, he was positive of it. Painfully slowly, he moved to his bureau and began to dress lazily, just wishing for his head to hurt so he would have an excuse to stay in bed all day and perhaps have the chance to continue his dream. A pain shot through his heart as he realized it was the first time he acknowledged that it was a figment of his imagination. Taking extra time to straighten his shirt and buckle his belt and make sure that both his socks were symmetrical, he hoped to delay going downstairs. To his despair, however, it was just as he finished tying the laces of his trainers that a loud knock echoed through the quiet house from downstairs.

Groaning as he made his way towards the door, he couldn't help but feel the heaviness of his heart, which lay in the deepest pits of his stomach. Shuffling out of the room and down the hall, he found that he didn't even have the craving to stop and admire the works of art, even if it would drag out some more time.

_May as well get it over with_, Fred thought to himself as he turned the last corner and began to take the first step down the stairs. But everything seemed to freeze in the single moment he saw who stood at the bottom.

Tall and straight-backed with his hands finding home in the pockets of his trousers, he looked as modest as he always had. His head of dark hair did nothing to mask his unmistakable, naturally handsome features and the bright smile that played on his lips and spread its joy into the light gray eyes residing above, which, without Fred even noticing, flickered towards him and stared.

"Fred," breathed Cedric Diggory.


End file.
